Bearing bushings are usually made of thin plate and consist generally of a cylindrical sleeve and a bottom formed integrally to form a single piece with the sleeve. They are usually stiffened by several crimps distributed around the periphery of the bearing bushing. Bearing bushings of this general configuration are not new per se. For example, West Germany Registered Design No. 1,874,295 discloses a bushing having a bottom which is flat in the central zone and has an outer conically shaped section which continues by way of a turned up edge into the cylindrical part of the bearing bushing and which is crimped to stiffen it.
It has been found that this design has several disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, it has been found that cracks or fissures form in the transition zone between the bottom of the bushing and the cylindrical sleeve which result from powerful forces acting on the bottom. These cracks or fissures can lead ultimately to failure of the bearing bushing. Additionally, the sleeve in this known design is relatively long because of the conically shaped section.